I am speaking

I am speaking at the BYU ballroom tonight at 7:00.
This is open to all who would like to join me.

I have family in town this weekend for this.
I want everyone to know about it and watch it.
It will be the most inspiring hours of TV you've ever watched.
I promise.
I am excited.

I sniff a good weekend.

Lovely: Marucs and Ashley come and spend the night.

Horrible: Jimmy's stinky breath

Welcome Autumn Dinner Party

Last night was our much anticipated dinner party with friends.
The weather cooperated with us in perfect manner. Autumn welcomed us by a crisp evening, beautiful colors splashed in the backyard and on the mountains above us.
It was wonderful.

Our record player serenaded us while we ate.
Norah Jones is the perfect tunes for a laid back dinner with friends.
(Mindy, when are you going to make LP's??)
The Autumn lovers roll call:

Katie & Lance (we missed you buddy)
Adrian & Kristin
Laura & Jason
Elizabeth & Collin
Mr. Nielson & Stephanie

On the Menu:

Grilled garlic salmon
Butter greens with tomatoes and Gorgonzola cheese
Cheese tortellini (which was really dry), topped with tomato sauce and basil.
Cooked rosemary carrots.
Three types of artisan bread.
Fresh peaches and apples from local fruit stand.

Essie nail polish in my favorite autumn colors for the girls
and tart apple's from my tree for the boys.

Dessert:

Cherry almond tart, Peach cobbler, and apple-oatmeal pie.
Along with pecan and vanilla ice cream.

The night ended with candlelight conversation and cobbler.
The evening couldn't have been sweeter.
Welcome Autumn indeed.

(Thanks to Liz for taking the pictures!)

Lovely: Putting flannel sheets on everyone's bed.

Horrible: Ollie got stung by a bee and is sick.

Halloween is here.

(old fashioned pumpkins, my front door orange wreath with added feathered birds and,
my favorite Halloween books)

It's Halloween on B Avenue
I couldn't be more pleased.
This strange holiday is my favorite.
Something about decorating with pumpkins, and skeletons that makes it magical.
This year at my home, I went crazy masking everyone.


(Masks from the BeeAndNie on etsy)

I added petite masks to the clock, our wall decorations,
over pumpkins and even family photos on the wall.

(Claire in the entry)

(my cookie jar owl, anthropologie)

(4000 pound pumpkin on dining room table, bat runner from Pottery Barn)

(Birds hanging on my chandeliers in the kitchen)

And what better holiday than Halloween to pull out my collection of everything owls.

(owls sit on my classics's collection books)


***************

Lovely: Getting a sprinkler system in the backyard.

Horrible: Being called a monster repeatedly
by a little girl in Target as we were waiting in line.

The treehouse/NieNie asks on Blogher

This past weekend was a do0zy.
I jotted down some of the highlights
(which I will share in another post).

But just for a slight preview, it included: a missed flight, a stupid movie,
and a unhappy husband. Deadly weekend.

(Good morning Jane and Claire)

However, Mr. Nielson slept with the children in our newly built tree house.
This tree house does have a name, and it will be
unveiled in a few weeks with a ribbon-cutting dedication.
(But really, I just want to tie a big red ribbon around the tree).

(Nicholas's sweet rats nest. Its a sign he slept well)

(Still sleeping Ollie...next to Nicholas)

Here are the pictures of the night.
It lasted until 7:10 am when all 4 Nielson children including Mr. Nielson woke me up by climbing in bed with me. Their frozen bodies slapped up against my warm-in-the-bed-body.
It was a very sweet (chilly) moment.

(Mr. Nielson's sweet pulley design for the tree house)


(Sending up popcorn to my family with the pulley)


*********************
Today I ask you on NieNie asks on Blogher this:
When do you think its OK to decorate for the Holidays?

As for me, I decorated for Halloween yesterday and as soon as Halloween is over, I will decorate for Christmas (with a little Thanksgiving involved).
We are so excited for Halloween, we even downloaded some free games for my iphone, including this one from Pottery Barn.

Back to the sun, again

(Mr. Nielson, Dr. M., and Nurse Sunshine in the laser room)

Mr. Nielson and I are pretty used to 'the-flying-to-Arizona-routine'.
We know the best places to park at the Salt Lake City airport, and where to stop for a magazine or two. We know when to board the airplane, where to sit, when to sleep on each others shoulders (around Lake Powell). We also know the quickest way to the Alamo car rental place in Phoenix and, who to talk to and what car we can expect.
We know what channel to listen to in the car and
we know where to stop for lunch (LGO, of course).

Our mission this trip:
1. Mr. Nielson gets laser work done by Dr. M. (like this)
Dr. M's office is like nothing you've seen. Ultra hip and modern. Dr. M. gave me a bag with Mr. Nielson's "cream" and it looked like a high-end shopping bag,
oh and a glass bottle of voss water.
He also had the crispest most white doctor lab coat I have ever ever seen.
Mr. Nielson is doing just fine.

2. Tomorrow, I will meet with my favorite doctor, Dr. L and ask him why he is so inconsistent with his texting and what he's been signing on his guitar lately,
and then I will cut to the chase and get to the scoop on, well, ya know, me.

After a delicious dinner with the Boss and his wife, (my mother-in-law)...whom I will call St. Mary, at Rosa's in Mesa we had a delightful chat mostly about politics.
Now we are retiring to bed.

Be back in town soon....I am excited, remember when I return,
I am going to get my Halloween decorations out!
But, beware APX is guarding our house while we are out.
Just ask Lindsay Kay.

(me with laser protective glasses on)

Zits

(Oliver and Mr. Nielson's boots)

Mr. Nielson was back at it today.
He got dressed and put on his boots.
We had some help today getting sprinklers in the backyard.
note: I hate yellow, hard, and itchy grass.
One of the workers sang the song by Emineme and Rhianna about "burning". I hate that song for pretty obvious reasons.
I felt really uncomfortable.
I am still trying to learn how to handle certain situations like that or when the APX man told me that he'd rather drown than burn. Then he told me that burning sounds awful and his "friends" told him it hurts really bad. Really?

Mr. Nielson and I are headed to Arizona today to visit with Dr. L and Dr. M. We are excited to see those geniuses. Hopefully they will have nothing but happy things to say. For example:

Oh Stephanie, you will never need surgery again, just take this special magic pill we invented and all your problems will go away.
or
Stephanie, you look beautiful and we will never have to
poke you with needles ever again.

But I doubt that will happen, but maybe I can get Dr. L. to sing for me.

After dinner was cleaned up and showers all around, all of us lay on my bed discussing where the children would be farmed out to while we are in Arizona. The kids hate when we leave especially Jane. I think the accident was the hardest for her. She is worried a lot, and concerned that I will have another accident or look different or never come back.
We told her that Mr. Nielson was having a laser treatment to heal his facial scars and she looked at us with a blank glare.
"What scars?"
She meant it too.
I don't think the children see the scars anymore.
It feels so good, and I know they accept me, scars, odd looking neck and all.

We kissed everyone and told them to keep cousin Anson in their prayers.
Ollie asked why bad things happen to people.
I told him the classic answer, that through trials we learn and grow.
We talked about folks we know who have had trials and Jane said:

"Like me, becuase tonight I just found a zit on my thigh"

If only....

Then, Oliver took pictures of Nicholas post tub.
I erased probably 20 pictures of naked Nicholas.
Although he managed to take these very classic photos of my blondie boy.

He works hard for his money...

(Nicholas and Mr. Nielson doing hand-prints in the new concrete)

We got 4 more mice today.
They are so cute with their little ears flopped over and bucked front teeth still attached to the cheese. Sad really, but a must.
Mr. Nielson and I lay in bed and heard a whap- it was the mouse catcher.
It was midnight, but doggone it, Mr. Nielson was going to get to the bottom of this, and so he put on his uggs and went downstairs to our chokey.
Upon examination, it was discovered that a pipe was not insulated correctly,
and the mice were coming in like crazy.
I hope that will be the end of that.
I know you think this is gross, but I also know you have something lingering around your house wither it be rats, mice, scorpions, cockroach's, flies, or ants, or flying ants which are the worst of them all. Or perhaps this?


(The kids hands. Our to follow. Oh, and Jimmy's)

Mr. Nielson has been digging a large hole to safely put the trampoline in the ground.
(goodbye stitches). He has laid concrete for a shed. He works really hard. I like it. He looks so manly and handsome shoveling dirt. When he comes in the house, I want to eat him (only because I crave dirt. I am slightly anemic, and I love him so much)
Concrete at our house means; Jimmy will walk on it 3 times, Nicholas will throw rocks at it, and Ollie will shoot his bow and arrow in it, jolly fun!
We did however, each put our hand-print in it to remember the autumn afternoons
Mr. Nielson worked really hard in 2010.

I went to the grocery store today and saw an assortment mother-load of pumpkins. I went crazy. Ollie, Nic and I picked the plumpest, happiest looking pumpkins we could find. Then I smooshed them in the back of Mr. Nielson's car trunk.
I went home with the back of the car low riding. Oh yeah.

I have decided it is time to bring out the Halloween decorations.
The girls and I have planned Saturday as the day dedicated to Halloween decorating.
I think I am slightly more excited than they are.
*******************

Also, just to note. I am speaking at BYU on the September 30th. If you are around and want to come, please do. It would be a pleasure to have you.


(photo by Justin Hackworth)

The day at my house.

(Nicholas watching Disney channel this morning)

Fresh out of the tub Nicholas watched "Handy Manny" on the Disney channel.
I can handle that cartoon (probably because Manny's voice is Wilmer Valderrama) but "Sid the Scientist Kid" -kill me and put me in a coffin. I hate that one.
It must have something to do with my inner Republicanism...I am not ashamed. Go Mitt!

(Me with Betsy Aurora (named after me, of course), and Ever Jane)

Then, I was lucky enough to have my cute niece Ever over.
I had Anson too, but I can't smoosh Anson's face like I can Ever's.
I held her most of the morning while Courtney went to a special get-together.
I didn't even need to, she would have been just fine to have played on the floor,
but I just had can't get enough of that baby goodness.

I am so excited that people even put me in the category of "babysitter" again.
I know for a while I was weak and could barely hold my fork, but now, I am all over it.
I assured Courtney that I wouldn't drop her and I promised to bend down on my knees if needs be. (I can't bend down so well. My legs have a hard time folding up- (enter yoga on Fridays).

Lucy dropped in for lunch. Of course we chatted while I ordered Cafe Rio online.
I love technology....(please tell me you know what I mean)
Lucy and I talked about Halloween decorations, pregnancy, and I shared with her my deepest darkest secrets which included the carpet guy seeing me naked.
Can you see how effected I am still...gross.
Then Bets ate about 5 peaches and probably has diarrhea as I type this.

Ollie came home from school, ate lunch with us, and went outside to help Mr. Nielson dig a hole. He is digging a rather large hole to bury our trampoline.

(Ollie home from school, eating lunch, and being adorable)

I made baked potatoes for dinner.
Its easy.
Monday is the day for leftovers and easy food from our bare refrigerator.
And since I am being honest, we caught 5 mice today in our house.
One right after another. I hate mice. I hate that they are in my house, and I hate catching them because I feel so bad for them, the poor little guys had no idea what was coming.

Then 'Projector Dave' came over to say hello. He is from Arizona, an old BYU football quarterback, a man who sells projectors and stuff, (he also looks like Robert De Niro), and a recent owner of a yellow lab. Congrats Dave and family.
My dog eats his own poo. I hope yours will not.

My Sundee

(Sunday's bloody sun due to a wildfire in the distance)

Let me just share with you all how a typical Sunday will go down at our house, (but my Dad says Sundee...I bet yours does too. Ask him to say Sunday, he will most definitely say Sundee)
Indulge me please and act really interested:
9:00 am- wake children up
9:15 am- shower children
9:45 am- feed children
10:00 am- dress children
10:45 am- get in the shower myself
10:47 am- tell whoever is coming in the bathroom and opening up my shower curtain while letting the cold air in to complain that "he hit me", or "she threw the ice cream scooper at me" to please just wait until I am out. Then I wonder why the ice cream scooper is out in the first place. Somethings going on.
10:50 am -Mr. Nielson comes home from Sunday church meetings in time to grab a piece of toast and hustle everyone in the car
10:52 am-putting my make-up on
10:55 am- Mr. Nielson honks
10:56 am- Mr. Nielson honks again
10:57 am- we park the car in the church parking lot
11:00 am- church just in time for the opening hymn. Late? I think not.
2:15- pm- home from church, everyone eats
3:00 pm- the kids watch a "church movie" (does Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman count?
Its claaasssic acting)
3:15 pm-Sunday naps
4:00 pm- the kids trash the house while I nap
5:00 pm- Sunday naps conclude
5:15 pm- I pick up the house and begin dinner
5:30 pm- itunes on (sundee classics of course) and peeling potatoes
6:00 pm- dinner table is set by "Claine"
6:30 pm- dinner is served

(me picking sunflowers on our Autumn color ride and yes, that is my real skin on my arms.)

7:30 pm- we all pile in the car for our family Sundee drive. (Autumn color tour). A tradition since I was a baby (remind me of the time my Dad almost ran over a biker-cop and ran out of gas AND we had to walk home in slippers and robes. It was awesome).
8:15 pm- home, clean up, kids in shower
8:45 pm- prayers, kisses, drinks of water
9:00 pm- kisses, drinks of water..repeat
10:00- pm snuggle with Mr. Nielson until I fall off to sleep.

*************

Thank you all for your stories and e-mails I received from you about when you were terribly embarrassed when the next door neighbor got a glimpse of you in your fancies or something like that, it made me running into the carpet cleaner naked a cake walk.

(Nicholas overlooking Provo)
********
Its Mondee! Time for....

NieNie asks on BlogHer
What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
Me? I had peaches....just peaches.
From my very own tree. yum.
Go here to share.